


I’d never lived before your love (but then again, I wasn’t really living)

by RootyRootbeer



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: Choni owns my ass, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, One-Shot, choni, idk i tried
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-05-13 01:39:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14739653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RootyRootbeer/pseuds/RootyRootbeer
Summary: A series of Choni one-shots, some of which are based off of deleted scenes.





	1. You'll Never Be Alone Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A one-shot of Toni leaving Cheryl a voicemail while she's at the Sisters Of Quiet Mercy. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, originally this was supposed to be just a one-shot, though I've decided to make this into a collection of one-shots. Enjoy!

“You have reached the voicemail of HBIC Cheryl Blossom. Leave a message if you must, and if you’re lucky enough, I might get back to you.” Toni let out a watery chuckle as she listened to the recording. She had memorized everything about it, from the tone of each word to the length of the spaces between them. At first, hearing the voicemail had comforted her. Hearing Cheryl speak in her usual, confident voice had reminded Toni that Cheryl was strong, that she could survive whatever was happening to her. But the more time that passed since Cheryl had disappeared made the voicemail increasingly painful to listen to. Every time she heard it, all Toni could think of was how Cheryl probably didn’t sound like that strong, self-assured girl anymore. Toni must have listened to it at least a hundred times in the past three days, since the last time she saw Cheryl. Since she had made the mistake of leaving her alone.

 

Toni was currently sitting on the floor of the girl's locker room, with her back against Cheryl’s locker and her arms wrapped around her knees. Cheerleading practice had ended and the locker room was empty. Toni had been staying in the locker room for a while after practice for the past three days. She had been hoping it would somehow make her feel closer to Cheryl; she knew how much Cheryl adored her precious River Vixens. Toni swallowed back a lump in her throat as her phone let out a short beep, signaling that she should leave her message. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

 

“Hey, Cher.” Her voice sounded feeble, so she cleared it before continuing.

 

“Vixen’s practice just ended. We didn’t do much. It’s not the same without you yelling at everyone for being untalented or making us run fifty laps,” she said with a laugh. It was true, though. While Cheryl could sometimes be a bit too harsh, practice was dull and uneventful without her always-killer one-liners. Toni figured she only enjoyed those because they were never directed at her. She was the only one they were never directed at.

 

“I stopped by your house last night again. Didn’t knock on the door, just sat outside. I was watching your window, hoping you might be in there.” Toni had laid in the grass for god knows how long, just staring up at Cheryl’s window. She knew it was a long shot, but Toni had hoped that maybe Cheryl had been in her room all this time, that Penelope had just locked her in there. But Cheryl wasn’t there, and the longer she laid there, the worse she felt. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to leave, she just needed to see Cheryl again. To catch a glimpse of her warm brown eyes, her fiery red hair, her soft, pale skin…

 

“I-I’m so sorry Cheryl. This is my fault. You told me about what your mother was planning and I didn’t take you seriously and I left you alone and now you're gone and I’m sorry. I should have been there for you. I shouldn’t have left you. I promise you that I’m going to find you, and once I do, you’ll never be alone again.” Toni’s voice broke as she said the last word, and she began to sob. She had spent all of the time since Cheryl had gone missing with these thoughts consuming her, filling her with guilt and dread. She knew Cheryl wouldn’t blame her, that she would blame her sorry excuse for a mother, and Toni knew that, to some extent, Cheryl was right. Toni knew it wasn’t truly her fault that Cheryl was gone, yet she still felt that it was. Toni had failed. She had promised to protect Cheryl and to keep her safe and she had failed and god, she would do anything to know Cheryl was okay, to hear her angelic laugh or see her radiant smile.

 

“I don’t know where you are, but I’m gonna find you. I’m not going to rest until I do. I’ll storm Thistle House and threaten your mother if I have to. Just hang in there, okay? I know you can do it, you’re strong, the strongest person I’ve ever met. I’m gonna get you from wherever the hell you are and bring you home, and we can cuddle on the couch and watch movies and drink cherry cola, alright? I...I miss you a lot and I lo- I’ll see you soon, Bombshell.”

 

Toni hung up as a fresh round of sobs bursts through her mouth. She pressed herself against Cheryl’s locker with her hands covering her face, hoping to maybe catch a whiff of her perfume, or something else that would remind Toni of her. She knew that it didn’t make sense for her to be this upset, that no one understood why she was so worried. Toni had just met the girl, after all. Yet somehow Cheryl being gone was the worst pain Toni had ever experienced, worse than the time she had gotten her tattoo or the time she was stabbed in the leg. It felt as though a physical part of her was missing, something that she needed to survive. Toni took several deep breaths and did what she had been doing the past few days to calm herself down. She thought about her favorite memories of the redhead, her laughing at a joke Toni made on the day of the will reading, the shining smile so full of hope and fondness Cheryl had given her the night of the movie, Chery’s proud look as she announced Toni as the newest member of the cheerleading squad. Toni smiled, thinking about those blissful memories where Cheryl was the most happy, the most herself. Toni wiped her eyes, stood up, grabbed her bag, and made her way out of the locker room, the smell of Cheryl’s perfume still flooding her body and the sound of Cheryl’s laughter still singing in her ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comment any criticisms and/or suggestions that you have.  
> Feel free to dm me on Tumblr: rootyrootbeer or Instagram: rooty.rootbeer


	2. A Rose For My Girlfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A one-shot of the deleted scene from 2x18 where Cheryl gives Toni a rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just more pure fluff! Enjoy!

“A rose for my girlfriend!”

 

Toni felt someone wrap their arms around her from behind, and she grinned. She turned her head slightly and saw a flash of red hair

 

“Hey, Cher.” She felt Cheryl smile into her neck.

 

“Hey,” she whispered into her ear. After a moment, she pulled away and handed Toni an elegant red rose. She planted a soft kiss on Toni’s cheek, no doubt leaving a lipstick mark. Toni turned the rose over in her hand gently, admiring its beauty. Though, it wasn’t as beautiful as the girl she had received it from.

 

“Thank you, baby,” she said, placing it down on the dressing table. She turned to Cheryl, who pulled up a chair.

 

“So,” Toni started, taking Cheryl’s hands in hers. “How did things go with your mom?” They had been discussing what to do about Cheryl’s mother for days, and earlier that day Cheryl had called Toni, letting her know that she was going to confront her mother. Cheryl’s smile faded, and she bit her lip, looking away. Toni felt her heart sink a little.

 

“Not well?” she asked, squeezing her hands. Cheryl took a deep breath, then sighed.

 

“No, it did. It went really well, actually,” she replied, staring at their intertwined hands. “I just...did something kinda crazy.” Toni let go of one of her hands, and placed her finger under Cheryl’s chin, pushing her head upward to look at Toni. Toni could see worry swimming in her beautiful brown eyes. It was a look Toni recognized all too well. It was the same look Cheryl had when she told Toni about burning down Thornhill, or cutting off her mother’s oxygen, or any of the other questionable things Cheryl had done. It was the look Cheryl wore when she thought that what she was about to say would be the last straw for Toni and that she would leave. It was a look Toni hated seeing, and hoped one day she would never see again. “Whatever you did, it won’t change the way I feel about you, Cheryl. Nothing will,” Toni said softly, seeing Cheryl smile slightly at her words.

 

“I know we talked about this earlier and agreed that a… formal confrontation would be best, but that was before she demanded that I step down from the role of Carrie. She mentioned how similar our relationship was, with Carrie and her mother, and that kind of gave me an idea. Which, I now realize was a crazy idea…” Toni waited as Cheryl paused.  
“I, uh… I showed up to Thistle House in my Carrie dress, drenched in blood,” she said hesitantly, her eyes downcast. She glanced up at Toni worriedly, watching as Toni‘s expression changed to one of slight surprise, but to her relief, no traces of disgust or fear.

 

“Oh,” Toni said in a neutral voice. She stayed silent for a few moments before her lips began to turn upward. “That’s… kind of awesome,” she said, a full-fledged grin appearing as she imagined the look on Penelope's face when Cheryl confronted her, completely soaked in red. Cheryl’s brows turned down, a look of confusion appearing on her face. “You… you don’t think it was crazy?” she asked

 

Toni nodded. “Oh, no, it was definitely crazy. But that’s one of the things I like about you. You can be dramatic and extra as hell, and look imposing and impressive while doing so. I honestly love it. Besides, we’re in Riverdale. Everyone here is a little crazy, you should hear some of the stuff I’ve done with the serpents.” Toni’s heart fluttered as she saw Cheryl’s eyes brighten at her words. “So, was she scared?”

 

“Oh, terrified. I played a flawless Carrie. I thought she was going to faint,” Cheryl replied, confidence returning to her voice. Toni shook her head slightly, chuckling as she did so.

 

“Man, I wish I had been there to see it.” Cheryl nodded before saying, “I also threatened her with a candelabra.”

 

At this, Toni burst out laughing. She knew that Cheryl had burned down Thornhill using a candelabra, so she could only imagine how terrified Penelope must have been. Well, she definitely deserved it, Toni thought. After everything she put Cheryl through. Cheryl joined in on Toni’s laughter, those hers was mostly out of relief that Toni had taken it so well. As their laughter slowly died down, Cheryl wrapped her arms around Toni and pulled her close, nuzzling into her neck. “Thank you, TT.”

 

“For what?” Toni asked, stroking her red locks gently. Cheryl pulled away slightly to look Toni in the eyes, keeping her hands around Toni’s waist.

 

“For giving me the confidence to stand up to my mother. For supporting me and caring for me, no matter how difficult I can be. For being the only one to see past my walls and decide there was something there worth saving. Just..thank you for everything, Toni. For being you,” she said, both vulnerability and love clearly showing in her tone. Tears welled in the corner of her eyes, though Toni could tell based on Cheryl’s sincere smile that they were tears of happiness. Toni reached out and stroked Cheryl’s cheek, before leaning in for a kiss. It was a slow and soft kiss, one meant purely for love and comfort. After a few moments, Cheryl pulled away and rested her forehead against Toni’s. She kept her eyes closed, feeling utter contentment with Cheryl’s body pressed against hers and breathing in her sweet perfume. Toni sighed happily, thinking that she could just stay in this position forever when-

 

“Antoinette Topaz! What are you still doing in here, the show’s about to start!” Kevin exclaimed from where he stood in the doorway. Toni looked around the room in surprise, realizing she had been so focused on Cheryl that she hadn’t noticed the rest her castmates had left the room.

 

“Oh, sorry Kevin. I got a little distracted,” she said, winking at Cheryl who rolled her eyes. Kevin sighed dramatically, though both girls could tell he was fighting off a smile.

 

“It’s fine, just please get out there. And Cheryl, could you clean up the lipstick please?” he replied, gesturing towards Toni, whose lips were slightly stained with Cheryl’s signature cherry lipstick. He then disappeared out the door, yelling “And where the hell is Fangs?” as he left.

 

Cheryl smirked as she brushed a thumb across Toni’s lips. “You know, this color looks quite excellent on you.”

 

Toni’s matched Cheryl’s smirk with one of her own. “Oh, does it now? Well, maybe I should try some more on later if you know what I mean,” she joked, wiggling her eyebrows. Cheryl rolled her eyes and stood up, pulling Toni to her feet as well. She planted a kiss on the top of the shorter girl’s head.

 

“I’m really proud of you for doing this since I know that school plays aren’t exactly serpent style.” It was true; Cheryl was delighted that Toni had branched out and taken part in what she had referred to as a “legitimate school activity.” Cheryl had had to convince Toni to audition, something that hadn’t actually been very hard, as Cheryl only had to give Toni her puppy dog eyes for Toni’s will to immediately bend.

 

“I’ve honestly had a lot of fun, which I wasn’t exactly expecting when you persuaded me to join. Though, it would have been a lot more fun if you were still in it,” she said.

 

Cheryl sighed. “Oh, I know. I truly am an unsurpassable Carrie and no one could ever come close to my talent, but I suppose Midge plays the part decently.” Toni laughed, glad that Cheryl clearly felt better from their earlier conversation. “Now get out there and make me proud, Topaz,” Cheryl said, squeezing Toni’s shoulder lightly.

 

“Will do, Bombshell,” Toni replied before heading towards the door, giving her a little wave before exiting. Cheryl stood there for a moment, then glanced in the mirror. She was greeted with a sight she hadn’t seen in a long time; a genuinely happy smile on her face. It was a smile, she knew, that could only be caused by Toni Topaz. She stared a little bit longer, thinking about how lucky she was to have a girl in her life as amazing as her tiny, pink-haired serpent, before leaving the room, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comment any criticisms and/or suggestions that you have.  
> Feel free to dm me on Tumblr: rootyrootbeer or Instagram: rooty.rootbeer


	3. Always, Bombshell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A one-shot of Cheryl listening to the voicemail that Toni left her in chapter one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that I took so long to upload, I tried to make it a little longer than usual to make up for it. I wrote this at 4 in the morning, so it's not great :/ Also please leave comments and kudos because I'm desperste for validation.

_“Hey, Cher."_ Toni’s voice, fragile and feeble, rang out through the otherwise silent room. Cheryl felt a tear run down her cheek as she cradled the phone, the source of her girlfriend’s voice, in her hands. “Hey, Toni.”

 

It had been two weeks since Cheryl had made her daring escape, or rather since Toni had rescued her, from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. She was sprawled across her four-poster bed, still dressed in the cherry red dress and knee-high black boots she had worn to school. Her head was resting on a tear-soaked and mascara-stained pillow. The ill-fated school play had been just the night before, and while it marked the true beginning to the chaos and darkness that was to overtake the town of Riverdale in the next few weeks, it also marked the beginning of a new chapter in Cheryl’s life, a brighter one, full of freedom and safety and happiness and Toni. It had been Toni’s encouragement that had finally given Cheryl the strength she needed to confront her mother, a confrontation that, much to Cheryl's equal surprise and pleasure, had been successful. Penelope and Claudius had officially moved out of Thistlehouse, and out of Cheryl’s life. And once again, she had Toni to thank for it.

 

It appeared that Cheryl would never run out of things to thank Toni for. It seemed that ever since she met Toni, she had been in constant need of rescuing, emotionally so or otherwise. Luckily for her, Toni had been up for the task. In fact, she had been far more than just up for it. She had taken the time to get to know Cheryl, to stay with her and support her throughout her hardships, unlike most people in her life, namely “the core four" as they were referred to, who just left her on her own after saving her from whatever mortal peril she had been in that time. Sometimes this worried Cheryl, that she was so reliant on Toni’s comfort and protection, sometimes worried that Toni had not yet abandoned her only because of how pathetically obvious it was that Cheryl needed her. She feared that Toni saw her as nothing more than a charity case. It was a fear that, previous to tonight, had been swimming around the back of her mind ever since their heartfelt exchange at Pop’s almost a month ago. Cheryl had never voiced her fears to Toni, knowing they were most likely nothing more than paranoia and would only serve to both offend Toni and to worry her that she wasn't doing a good enough job showing she cared for Cheryl, which she most definitely was. Though, after tonight, Cheryl wouldn’t have to worry about these particular fears any longer. Not after hearing her voicemails.

 

When Cheryl had first decided to go through her phone, something she hadn't had access to since Penelope had confiscated it before dropping her off at the nunnery, she hadn't expected the utter hurricane of emotions that it would put her through. Upon first opening her phone after an hour of searching and eventually finding it buried underneath a pile of tangled jewelry in a drawer in one of Thistlehouse's many spare bedrooms, Cheryl had been surprised to see that she had over one hundred notifications, something she honestly couldn't remember ever having. Despite being the self-proclaimed HBIC of Riverdale High, she rarely ever received texts other than questions regarding Vixens practice and the occasional friendly message from Josie. Though she would never admit it, it always kind of hurt having barely anyone ever checking in on her, just seeing how she was doing, something she could only remember Jason doing. Well, and Heather, but that had been years ago.

 

Fortunately, it looked like the days of having a depressingly empty phone devoid of almost any signs of friendship were over. During her absence, she had received messages from Josie, Veronica, Betty, and even Archie. And of course, Toni. Toni had left her ninety-five messages, ranging from short messages such as _“I hope you're doing okay Bombshell,"_ and _“Please text me back, I’m really worried about you, Cher,"_ to long, affectionate paragraphs that had opened up the floodgates in Cheryl's eyes. Cheryl could sense the worry, the devastation that Toni had experienced while writing them, and it made her heart tug in a strange way. While it felt beyond amazing to know Toni cared so deeply, she felt guilty, too. She felt pain knowing that her absence had caused Toni so much stress, although it hadn't exactly been Cheryl’s fault. The guilt Cheryl felt had almost confused her at first; she wasn't used to being affected by other people’s emotions. It was something that would have scared her had it not been with Toni. Nothing about Toni, or her feelings for her, could scare her. Not anymore.

 

Much like the messages, Toni’s voicemails increased in length and emotion as more time passed. Already teary-eyed from the messages, the nine voicemails (there were ten in total) she had listened to left her blatantly sobbing. After finishing the ninth one, she hesitated a bit before clicking on the last one, noticing that it was almost double the length of the previous. It almost felt like an invasion of Toni’s privacy to be listening. Though Toni had sent the voicemails to Cheryl knowing she would eventually hear them, it was obvious that most of them had been during a time of emotional distress during which Toni had most likely not been thinking coherently. Cheryl was unsure whether or not she should let Toni knew she had listened to them, not wanting to embarrass her yet not wanting to hide anything from her.

 

_“Vixen’s practice just ended. We didn’t do much. It’s not the same without you yelling at everyone for being hopelessly untalented or making us run fifty laps.”_

 

She let out a small, slightly sarcastic laugh, the idea of anyone missing her tyrannical rule a bit ludicrous, though Cheryl couldn’t help but wish there was some truth in the statement. Despite her ruthlessness during practice, Cheryl considered the Vixens to be her family, at least more so than her actual family was. In fact, her fellow cheerleaders’ opinions of Cheryl had been one of the many thoughts that ran through her head during her nightmare of a vacation at the nunnery. _Maybe if you had been nicer to them, you wouldn’t still be in here,_ the voice in her head had spat viciously at her. _Maybe they would care enough about you to notice you were gone, to get you out of here,_ something that admittedly didn’t make much sense now, but had in her drug-addled and sleep deprived state. Between her previously existing trauma that insisted she was a loveless monster and the harsh words of the nuns that only added to it, Cheryl had convinced herself that no one was coming for her, that she was going to rot away in her cell and simply be forgotten, remembered only by her hellion of a mother that was the reason she was there in the first place. Obviously, Cheryl now knew how incredibly mistaken she had been.

 

_“I stopped by your house last night again. Didn’t knock on the door, just sat outside. I was watching your window, hoping you might be in there.”_

 

“Oh, Toni.” Even though Toni had shown Cheryl her “underbelly”, as Cheryl teasingly put it on a myriad of occasions, Cheryl didn’t think she would ever stop being surprised by how unbearably _soft_ that this badass biker chick really was.

 

_“I-I’m so sorry Cheryl. This is my fault. You told me about what your mother was planning and I didn’t take you seriously and I left you alone and now you're gone and I’m sorry. I should have been there for you. I shouldn’t have left you. I promise you that I’m going to find you, and once I do, you’ll never be alone again.”_

 

 _It’s not your fault,_ Cheryl wanted to say. _Please don’t think that it’s your fault._ The mere thought of Toni thinking, even for a second, that she was responsible for Cheryl’s disappearance caused Cheryl’s heart to crack. _God, she must really care about me if she truly believes that._ The girl was so amazingly selfless and compassionate, Cheryl was still astounded that someone as purely _good_ as Toni Topaz had come into her life.

 

_“I don’t know where you are, but I’m gonna find you. I’m not going to rest until I do. I’ll storm Thistle House and threaten your mother if I have to. Just hang in there, okay? I know you can do it, you’re strong, the strongest person I’ve ever met. I’m gonna get you from wherever the hell you are and bring you home, and we can cuddle on the couch and watch movies and drink cherry cola, alright? I...I miss you a lot and I lo- I’ll see you soon, Bombshell.”_

 

“I’m home!” Cheryl froze as Toni’s voice echoed through the mostly silent house. She heard the front door shut and the heavy thudding of Toni’s boots as she made her way up the stairs. Cheryl was unsure of what to do, whether she should turn off the voicemail, wipe away her tears and pretend she was fine (a lie Toni would have undoubtedly seen through in a second) or if she should simply let Toni find her like this.

 

“You in here?” Toni asked, knocking lightly on the other side of Cheryl’s closed bedroom door.

 

“Yeah,” Cheryl answered, wincing at how hoarse her voice sounded. Toni was silent for a moment, obviously noticing that state of Cheryl’s voice, before entering the room. She took in the sight of Cheryl laying on the bed, tears staining her face, with a sad yet sympathetic look on her face.

 

“What’s wrong, Cher?” she asked. Cheryl appreciated that she didn’t ask if she was okay. It something Cheryl hated almost as much as she hated repeating outfits, as usually one glance at her would render the question meaningless.

 

“I…” Cheryl wasn’t sure how to explain, but Toni’s eyes flickered to her phone, which displayed the now finished recording, and comprehension filled her face.

 

“Oh. You...listened to my voicemails.” Cheryl nodded, and Toni’s face flushed slightly. She rocked on her heels, feeling slightly awkward, eyes darting around the room before landing back on the saddened and sobbing mess that was her girlfriend. She hesitated for a moment, then made her way to the bed and sat down next to Cheryl, who immediately wrapped her arms around her waist. She rubbed her back soothingly as Cheryl squeezed her tightly, letting go after a few moments. Toni opened her mouth to comfort her, only for Cheryl to speak.

 

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess, TT. I was just going through my phone and I saw your messages, and then I listened to your voicemails, and…” she trailed off, not exactly sure how to explain. Toni nodded in understanding.

 

“Yeah, I guess the voicemails were a bit much. I was so stressed, I honestly don’t even remember what I said in most of them…” Sudden panic filled Toni’s chest as the thought that she might have said something that upset or triggered Cheryl sprung into her head. Toni had previously assumed that Cheryl had just been moved by them, but considering that Toni had only a vague idea of what she had said in the voicemails, it was a real possibility.

 

“Oh my god, did I say something wrong? I did, didn’t I? Shit, Cheryl, I am so sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking, sending all those voicemails, I barely even remember sending them, fuck I’m so sor-" Toni’s rambling was put to an end as Cheryl placed her finger against Toni’s lips, effectively shushing her. “You didn’t say anything wrong, TT,” she said, looking at Toni with a gentle expression until the panic faded from her face.

 

“What you said didn’t upset me in the slightest, in fact, I’m incredibly touched by it. It’s just… I haven’t heard such kind things in a long time, and hearing everything all at once was a little…”

 

“Overwhelming?” Toni suggested. Cheryl nodded. “Yeah, I get that. I’m sorry it was a bit much,” she continued as she took Cheryl’s hand and began playing with her fingers. Cheryl smiled and shook her head.

 

“It wasn’t. At least, it wouldn’t have had I been a little more stable,” Cheryl responded in a feeble attempt to brush off her current emotional state, which Toni saw through immediately. She intertwined their fingers and squeezed Cheryl’s hand.

 

“You’ll get there, Cher. You’re already so much better than you were last week. You’re smiling and laughing more, you haven’t had any panic attacks in days. I know it’s hard, and it might seem like you’re not getting any better, but trust me Bombshell, you are. You’re so brave and beautiful, and you amaze me every single day with your strength,” she pauses and tucks a lock of red hair behind Cheryl’s ear before continuing.

 

“But, it’s impossible for someone to be strong all the time. You’re allowed to break down and cry sometimes, you don’t always have to be okay. I know you don’t like showing vulnerability to other people, and that’s fine, Cher. But you can be as vulnerable and emotional as you want around me. I don’t want you to feel like you have to apologize for not being okay, and I don’t want you to feel like you’re a burden to me, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ll always be here for you. Always. You’re stuck with me for life, Cheryl.”

 

Cheryl sat silently as her tired mind tried to process what Toni had said. Toni gazed at her with a small smile and the most heart-meltingly soft look in her eyes as Cheryl let out a slight gasp, her brain finally catching up.

 

“Goddamn it, you made me cry again.” Cheryl ran a finger under her eye, wiping away a tear before it could fall. “Fuck, I don’t even know how to begin to respond to that, I-”

 

“That's okay,” Toni quickly interrupted. “That’s fine, I wasn’t trying to make you feel pressured into saying anything back, I just needed you to know all that.”

 

Cheryl broke into a grin, wondering how she was lucky enough to end up with such a kind-hearted and perfect girlfriend. “You’re too good for me, Toni Topaz.”

 

Toni smiled back at her, shaking her head. “That’s not even a little bit true.” Rising up from the bed, she scooped up Cheryl's pajamas from where they sat neatly folded on an armchair and handed them to her. “Now come on, time for bed. You’ve had a long day.”

 

Cheryl didn't protest even though it was still light out; she was exhausted. She slipped into her nightwear and crawled under the covers.

 

“Stay with me?” she asked Toni, who had been watching Cheryl get ready for bed with a fond expression. Toni nodded, lying down next to her and wrapping her arms around her waist.

 

“Always, Bombshell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comment any criticisms and/or suggestions that you have.  
> Feel free to dm me on Tumblr: rootyrootbeer or Instagram: rooty.rootbeer


End file.
